Tithe
by desertredwolf
Summary: A mischievous faerie prince. A girl stolen from her home when she was only a baby. Two unlikely worlds collide is this slightly darker and otherworldly take on the classic story of Cinderella. Written for the Post- Season Five QLFC, Round 1. Keeper for Penzance Pegai. Oneshot.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. All rights go to respective owners.**

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 **Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition / Post- Season Five, Round 1**

 **Team:** Penzance Pegai

 **Position:** Keeper

 **Prompt:** Fairytale Dabbling: Cinderella

 **Word Count (not including title and author's notes):** 2655 (Google Docs)

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 **Tithe**

 _The sea crashed against the cliffs, sending frigid spray into the October night air. The lonely northern village, located where the end of the road meets the freezing ocean, was quiet; everyone had long since fallen asleep. Not even one candle was lit to illuminate the gathering darkness._

 _It was in that cold and stillness that a little baby girl was kidnapped from the crib in which she slept._

 _The following morning — and for many days after — both the magical and Muggle authorities could not explain it. There was no logical explanation. The wards had not been broken, and the doors and windows had been locked all night. No one could have gotten in and out without leaving some evidence behind._

 _It did not change the fact, however, that as the the cold light of dawn broke on the horizon, all that had been left in the child's crib was a wooden doll._

 _The rumors quickly began to spread, even amongst the Muggles. Those that paid attention knew the signs, as stories and legends had been passed down throughout the generations. The tales had been warnings, and only now people were paying attention. Those people that were smart enough to start listening to them did not want to say the name of the culprit._

 _Names, after all, had power, and this one would bring bad luck and ruin._

 _In the safety of their homes or with their friends in the pub, however, that began to change with the passage of time. People grew brave — and maybe even a little reckless. The name, still ever feared, grew from a thought to just a whisper on their lips. Nevertheless, it was still spoken and it was heard._

" _Sharpen your iron spears," they would say in between drinks. "Guard your family, and keep your head down. The Fae are out hunting."_

.oOo.

 _ **Seventeen Years Later…**_

.oOo.

" _Get up now._ "

Pulling the threadbare blanket tighter around her, the stolen baby girl — now a beautiful young woman — ignored the voice.

 _Please_ , she thought desperately, _just five more minutes._

She was so exhausted. Her bones ached, and it felt like she was fading away with every breath she took. But desiring something like more time to rest was useless, as she was already awake and alert. These days, if she were honest, she hardly slept much anyway: an unfortunate side effect of living in an unstable Unseelie Court. The paranoia and anxiety also probably played a prominent role in her insomnia. The Fae, who did not even need to rest or sleep, called it her human weakness — one of many, she was sure.

" _You cannot watch your back when you sleep_ ," they would often say. She could never tell whether they were stating a fact or threatening her. At this point, she really did not care which it turned out to be.

It wasn't like she had the power to change it.

The more she thought about it, however, perhaps it was best to get the day started. If Luna had learned anything during her seventeen years living with the Fae, it was that her position was tenuous at best.

"I am awake," she said with a sigh.

She moved to stand up, her threadbare blanket falling off her petite body, only to be stopped by an icy hand pulling her up by the nape of her neck. It was only through years of practice that she didn't cry out in pain or fear, despite feeling both.

"What have I told you before, pet?" the female faerie hissed into her ear. "I expect you to _always_ promptly answer my summons — or do you want me to think that you are _ungrateful_?"

"No, ma'am," she whispered.

"' _No ma'am,_ ' it says," the faerie repeated mockingly. "I do not know why my life mate's last wish before he died was for me to take care of you. Why he had taken a liking to you is beyond me. You are _nothing_ — no better than a tithe."

Luna tried her best not to flinch, but something in her face must have showed because the faerie cackled. The threat of being offered as the Unseelie tithe was an old one, and it was something she didn't used to take seriously.

Now, without the protection of the old faerie who had stolen her, she was starting to think differently.

"Do you remember what today is, pet?" the unearthly being asked, leering at her in a predatory manner.

"The Seelie Prince is holding a celebration at the Summer Court," she replied meekly. "He hopes to find his life mate."

"But we do not care about that," the faerie scoffed. She let go of Luna, who fell back to the cold ground on her knees. "The Summer Court has always been carefree, unable to understand the meaning of winter and self-preservation. They cannot see past the never-ending warmth and happiness."

She turned and left Luna huddled on the ground. As she walked past a pot of peas and lentils that Luna had been collecting for food, the faerie stopped and knocked it over into the nearby ash of a fire pit.

"The Unseelie are there," the dark creature continued, "to only curry favors — and hopefully secure an alliance with the malleable young prince."

Luna's head snapped up.

"Wh-What do you mean?" she asked.

The faerie gave her a sharp-toothed grin. In the blink of an eye, the creature was standing right in front of Luna and roughly holding her chin. She stared into the black eyes of the faerie and idly wondered how other mortals thought they were beautiful.

"I think that we can help him find his life mate," the creature hissed, "from our own Court. Do you not agree, pet?"

Tossing Luna aside, the faerie left but not before tossing orders over her shoulder.

"Set aside my gown for the celebration, and make sure to clean up the peas, pet. You are so useless and clumsy."

And then Luna was alone.

She groaned and curled back up on her small sleeping mat. Things seemed to have gone from bad to worse in the span of a heartbeat.

 _Oh, this is not good._

Ignoring the unpredictable and violent narcissist she lived with and served, her life was already a mess. She was bound into servitude with the Unseelie Court, after one of the faerie lords had taken a liking to her. He had stolen her, and then had brought her to the Winter Court. For being Unseelie, he had treated her with kindness— no, that wasn't the right description for what he had been. He was less malevolent than the others.

Then he had died and left her at the mercy of his mate.

She tried her best to follow all of her mistress' orders, but the demands never ended. There was cleaning, cooking, more cleaning, and … well, sometimes more unpleasant activities. She suddenly felt nauseous as she remembered the feeling of a knife in her hand. Thankfully, she had only been given wild animals so far.

But it was a fact of life, like the sky being blue or that snow is cold: The Fae of the Unseelie Court were not kind or good. They were dark, malevolent, and incredibly vindictive. Every time she was handed the hunting knife, she could feel _their_ eyes watching her, waiting for her to disobey or stumble — and knew that someday soon she would be tested in ways in which she knew she would fail.

She had to do something, or she wouldn't last until the winter solstice.

"I have to get to that celebration," Luna whispered out loud. She began silently levitating the peas and lentils out of the ash — oh, she had secrets, too — and into the pot. "I have to tell the Prince what is going to happen … he is the only one who can help me … save me from being tithed. Maybe he can help me get home."

There was only one major problem — well, two problems. She didn't know what the Prince looked like, as she had never left the confines of the Winter Court. In the name of Puck, she didn't even know his name.

Names had power, and the faeries around her had made sure she would stay ignorant of theirs.

The second problem was that she didn't know how to get to the Summer Court.

Suddenly, there was a pop of displaced air. Luna grabbed the nearest weapon — one of her shoes — and turned to face the intruder.

"Dobby is here to help!"

Luna stared at the cowering creature and wondered just what it was, as she had never seen anything like it in the past. It was small with ridiculously large ears and eyes. It didn't look like a faerie, but then again anything was possible.

"What are you?" she asked. The tiny creature continued to cower before her, and she slowly lowered her shoe. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

"Dobby is okay," the being said with a shaky smile. "Dobby is a House-Elf and heard about your plight— Yous has magic, miss!"

He stared wide-eyed at Luna. She looked to her right to see the peas and lentils still floating into the pot. Well, that cat was out of the bag now.

"Oh, um," she stuttered, at a loss for words. "Do you promise not to tell? It's a secret."

Dobby nodded enthusiastically.

"Dobby is here to help," he repeated determinedly.

.oOo.

Luna never imagined glass slippers would feel so comfortable.

She felt like she was floating in her white and pale blue gossamer gown, and quickly readjusted her mask. Dobby had assured her it had elf magic on it and would hide her appearance from those that knew her.

"You really thought of everything, Dobby," she murmured.

Taking a deep breath, she walked up to the gates of the Summer Palace that the little House-Elf had popped her to. It was breathtaking. Everything seemed to be coated in eternal golden sunshine, and fresh flowers bloomed along the paths and in the trees.

"My lady," the guards said, bowing in unison before opening the gates, "have a wonderful celebration."

Playing the part of the cold, distant royal, she nodded slightly and accepted her good fortune. Quickly walking past them, she only let out a breath when she was far down the path. She hadn't even needed to provide any identification! The guards had just assumed. Although, with a glance down at her dress and jewelry, she guessed she looked the part and that was enough for her.

Now all she had to do was find a way into the Summer Palace.

Before she could take two more steps down the golden path, however, a faerie popped up out of nowhere next to her.

"HELLO!"

"Aaah!" Luna shrieked. Stumbling back, she tripped and almost fell down — only to be caught at the last second by the mysterious faerie.

"Sorry, darling," he said with a chuckle. "I did not mean to scare you that badly."

"It's okay," she replied, regaining her balance. "At least you caught me. You should really…" Luna looked up at the faerie and froze.

She had never understood the idea of someone taking another's breath away, but she did now. The faerie was tall and lanky with a mop of fire-red hair. He also wore a mask, but she could see his warm brown eyes. They sparkled with mischief and good-humor.

It was in that split second that she knew she was in love. She was in love with a faerie.

Oh, she was so screwed.

"What is your name?" he asked her softly, ignoring her previous half-finished statement.

"Names have power," she reminded him, her voice breathless and light. "But I'll make you a deal: I'll tell you mine, if you tell me yours."

She knew he couldn't refuse an agreement like this; no faerie would, especially if they really wanted something. Luna watched as the faerie grinned and took off his mask. He gave her a bow meant for a queen and kissed her hand. She couldn't help but smile at his antics.

"Fredrick," he replied. "Although, my brothers call me Fred. My eldest brother, William, is the one looking for his life mate at this celebration. Now, I believe you owe me something."

Would surprises never cease? Luna felt her heart pound in her chest, as adrenaline shot through her system. She was talking to one of the Crown Prince's younger brothers.

"Please help me," she said softly. Fred stiffened at the sudden change of tone, before pulling her close into a hug.

"Anything for a pretty lady like you," he said. "What do you need?"

She took a deep breath and began to explain, as slowly and calmly as possible.

"The Unseelie Court plans to manipulate your brother into marrying one of their own," Luna said. "I also need his help, but—"

Fred was already pushing her away. Before Luna could blink, he drew out a knife and held it against her throat.

"I should not be surprised at Unseelie treachery," he snarled. "Tell me what they plan to do, and I may have mercy."

"I don't know," she said, tears rolling down her cheeks. She could feel his disbelief and did the only thing that she could think of: she took off her mask.

"I don't know because I am not one of them."

"You are human?" Fred asked, confusion lacing his voice. Luna sighed.

 _All cards on the table_.

"My name is Luna," she said, "and I have magic. I have been a slave to the Unseelie Court since I was a baby. I was stolen from my home. Originally, I wanted your brother to help me _by setting me free_ , for I desire no throne and no power. But," here she paused slightly before continuing, "I am tired. I have been living a nightmare for over seventeen years. If the choice is die here or be offered as a tithe later for going against my mistress' orders, I do not care. Just protect your brother from being pulled into a nightmare like mine."

Luna felt the knife be removed from her throat.

"You would die for my family?" Fred questioned. "You could have been caught and killed, before ever reaching my brother. How could you risk everything for someone you do not know?"

"Because," she said, "it had to be done, and I was the only one who could. You are also kind and protective, and I have to believe you take after the rest of your family. You are a better faerie than any in the Unseelie Court."

Those words seemed to change everything. Fred straightened up, sheathed his knife, and formally took her hand. He then knelt before her. Suddenly, Luna felt very apprehensive.

"Uh, Fred?" she asked. "What are you doing?"

"Hush," he chided with a wide grin. "I'm rescuing a damsel in distress. I, Fredrick, the Fourth son of the Summer King, place under my protection Luna, the sorceress. She will be treated as a guest of the Summer Court and offered all the courtesies of a princess. She will remain under this protection, until such time as she wishes to leave. Do you agree to these terms, Luna?"

It was a tricky thing, making promises with a faerie. They had extensive memories and could hold grudges for far longer than that. This, however, was more than she hoped for — which might not have been saying much.

She was free of her wicked mistress, and had a safe place to stay. She could even leave anytime she wished! Looking into Fred's eyes, though, she felt like she might want to stick around.

At least for a little while.

"Yes," she replied. "I accept your terms."


End file.
